13 Questions for Mike Constantino

Mike Constantino wears many hats as head of the
AMA Fight Club in Whippany, N.J., from mentor and manager to
trainer and friend. In less than five years, he has transformed the
school into one of the top destinations for mixed martial arts
training on the East Coast.
UFC lightweight contender Jim Miller,
former
International Fight League middleweight champion Dan Miller
and twice-beaten UFC welterweight Charlie
Brenneman are among those who make the AMA Fight Club their
home.

In this exclusive interview with Sherdog.com, Constantino discusses
the origins of the school, the challenges he faces at a growing
academy, Miller’s status in the lightweight division and his
previous work as a bodyguard.

Sherdog.com: How and when did the AMA Fight
Club originate?
Constantino: I’ve owned and operated American Martial Arts since
2004, and AMA Fight Club derived from that in 2006. I wanted to
evolve my program and brought in Renzo Gracie
black belt Jamie Cruz to teach jiu-jitsu; I was teaching the muay
Thai program. Around that time, I decided to start a fight team and
wanted to train and manage professional MMA fighters, and things
just took off. I’m very fortunate.

Sherdog.com: What has allowed your school to
become so successful in such a short period of time?
Constantino: I believe in teamwork. I know that I can’t do
everything by myself and also know that I’m not the best in
everything, so I went out and got the best people in their
individual areas of expertise. When we’re all together, we make a
very strong team. I also attribute it to hard work and the desire
to succeed. I had motivation to succeed. Failure was not an option.
I know it sounds cliché, but I sacrificed and risked a lot to open
my own gym. I left a great job and took a huge risk, so I had to
stay focused and determined.

Sherdog.com: How did you become involved in
martial arts?
Constantino: I am a lifelong martial artist. I began when I was a
child and then took some time off to play high school sports. Then,
I met my instructor and mentor, Tom Patire, when I was 19 and
earned my black belt in the combative martial art of Hom Do. I then
began training under muay Thai legend Master Kumron Vaitayon and
earned my instructor rank under him in 2005. I also currently train
jiu-jitsu under Jamie Cruz.

Sherdog.com: Did you ever think it would take
you to the places it has taken you?
Constantino: I always had a vision of being where I’m at today, and
I have a vision of where I want to go, so yes.

Sherdog.com: What has it been like for you to
work with fighters like Jim Miller,
Dan
Miller, Charlie
Brenneman, Frankie
Edgar and on down the list?
Constantino: I’m blessed that I have the opportunity to work with
some of the best fighters in the entire world. It sounds so crazy
to say, but that’s a fact; these fighters are some of the best in
the entire world.

Sherdog.com: Speaking of Jim Miller, how do
you feel about where he currently stands in the UFC -- are you at
all put off by the fact that he has not yet fought for the title,
or are you content in him waiting his turn?
Constantino: Jim deserves his title shot, hands down, period, end
of story. I believe he has waited his turn. He fought anyone placed
in front of him, never questioning why him or why not someone else.
Jim is a true company man, has fought on six days’ notice and is
9-1 in the Octagon. Fun fact -- Jim has the most wins in the
Octagon since 2008 with nine. Anderson
Silva is second with eight.

Sherdog.com: Is it hard to manage
personalities when dealing with MMA fighters competing at the
highest level?
Constantino: It really isn’t hard. I’m an only child, so my
fighters are truly my brothers that I’ve never had. Another key
element is that I’m not a manger for the money. I’m not a manager
because it’s the cool thing to do. I’m a manager because I truly
want what’s best for my guys, and I know that I can provide it for
them. If I need help with something, I’m not afraid or ashamed to
ask someone to aid me. It all goes back to teamwork. I have lawyers
and doctors that donate their time and expertise to help me keep my
fighters safe.

Sherdog.com: How do prospective fighters go
about joining your gym -- is there a selection process they have to
go through in order to make sure they are right for AMA?
Constantino: Anyone can join AMA Fight Club as a student. If you
express an interest in fighting, and I feel that your skills are on
par and you’re ready, I’ll allow you to work out with my pros. I do
an evaluation, and it’s either you need to work on this and that
before you can train with the pros again, or if you make the cut,
you’re in and welcome to continue training with us.

Sherdog.com: What is MVC Sports, what role do
you play with it and how do you balance your responsibilities there
with those you have with AMA?
Constantino: MVC Sports is a full-service sports management company
that I own and operate. My motto is that I provide everything for
my fighters so that all they have to do is train and fight. MVC
Sports handles the rest, from contract negotiation, sponsorship
deals, supplements, appearances, tattoos -- anything the fighter
wants, we provide. I have a great vice president, Bill Murphy, who
is on top of the game, and I’m very fortunate to have him onboard.
Same theme, different company -- teamwork.

Sherdog.com: What does your new position with
the Urban Conflict Championships promotion entail?
Constantino: I’m in a special advisory role with UCC. The
president, Chris Sblendorio, has a great thing going on and
successfully ran three pro MMA shows in northern New Jersey. That’s
my home area, so I was offered a position to help him make his
already great promotion better, and I accepted. We have our first
show together on April 22, and we put together a stacked fight card
featuring “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 cast member Andy Main,
Rolles
Gracie, WEC vet Mike Budnik,
IFL vet Jamal Paterson, “The Ultimate Fighter” member Mike
Stewart and many, many, more top fighters.

Sherdog.com: As a gym owner, how do you plan
to keep pace with the growth of MMA in the next five, 10 to 15
years?
Constantino: I just opened my second AMA Fight Club gym, located in
Pompton Lakes, N.J. I plan on staying ahead of the rest of the pack
by continuing to provide superior instruction and not being
complacent. I most recently made a good thing better by bringing in
muay Thai legend and multi-time world champion Kaensak Sor
Ploenjit. Kaensak is widely recognized as one of the greatest muay
Thai fighters in the world, and he now teaches at AMA Fight
Club.

Sherdog.com: In a previous life, you worked as
a bodyguard. What were your most interesting assignments and
why?
Constantino: I had some of the best times in my life as a
bodyguard. I got to work with many famous celebrities and was
fortunate to travel the world, including Asia, Europe and the
Caribbean on many details. One of my most memorable assignments was
being the detail leader for the 45th Annual Grammy Awards at
Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2003.